Why 40K instead of 50K?

[rshackelford]

Why are all the new ballparks sized at a capacity of 40-some thousand? With attendance up, I'd think they'd want 50-some thousand capacity. What am I missing here?

[redlegsfan21]

Owners are trying to create a demand on tickets by making less and therefore tickets can be sold at a higher price.

[efin98]

There isn't a need for huge 50,000-60,000 seat mega stadiums in most cities anymore, the vast majority of teams only need 40,000-45,000 seats at most.

Besides, it's a return to the past when stadiums only housed about 30,000 on average. Look at the capacities of the old stadiums: outside of Polo Grounds, Yankee Stadium, and Municipal Stadium the ballparks were small. That was good enough for decades, it's good enough for the modern era.

[Bluesteve32]

Mostly is because baseball requires an intimate setting that those huge parks just don't seem to have. The days of multi-purpose use facilities is over and the newer ballparks seem to find a retro feel.

Also playing to a lot of empty seats is disheartening to management and players alike. I think it just looks better to have a 35,000 in a ballpark that holds 43,000 than 35,00 in a ball park that holds 70,000. It may be the same, but it does not look the same.

[bluejaysfan]

Remember that the 50,000 seat cookie cutters were also built for football, which needs alot more seats. Baseball didn't necessarily require the 50-60,000 seats and we saw that most of these cookie cutters were ultimately unsuccessful. Now that most NFL and MLB teams are going separate routes in terms of stadiums the MLB can build it to their liking.

[sschirmer]

Plus it keeps folks a bit closer to the field. You add another 10k to most of these stadia, and the 10K you add will be Ueckeresque at best.

[riverfrontier]

i don't believe that intimate seating has been in the minds of the hok architects recently. luxury boxes and premium prices for field level seats are the box office cash cow of the day. the upper deck is a modern day bleacher ticket at 10 times the price. when they began shrinking the seating capacity, they made the guy who'd sit in the upper deck sit twice as far away for twice the price. but now he's got an imported beer selection, so i'm sure that goes a long way towards appeasement. i'd pay 8 bucks for 12 ounces, but never 9.

[sschirmer]

I disagree about the intimacy, but I do whole heartedly agree with you on the luxury box subject. You nailed that one.

[KCGHOST]

Those extra 10K seats will be generate less revenue per seat while costing more per seat to build.

[eric field]

I have had Mariner's season's tickets for almost 15 years... and I tell you the smaller baseball-only park is SOOO much better then the previous park (now granted the Kingdom was perhaps the worst ever sports building that man has ever created and Safeco is a wonderful piece of architecture, kind of like going from worst to first) It is great to be closer, the more intimate feeling in the park

[Elvis]

I'm glad the Dodgers don't play in a small ballpark like most teams. We need a lot of seats in Chavez Ravine because 50,000+ games are commonplace. You can get great seats for only $6 or $8 for every game in Dodger Stadium. I just saw the ticket prices for the Cardinals new stadium this season. The upper nosebleeds down at the foul pole are $25. I'd hate to have a small ballpark where the seats are too expensive.

[efin98]

I'd hate to have a small ballpark where the seats are too expensive.

Small market teams in "Small" ballparks, all recent openings and all for single game tickets during the 2006 season:

Detroit: $5-$20 for seats in the upper deck, $8 for bleacher and $15 for "pavilion" seats. "good seats" are $25-$35 for box seats.

Pittsburgh: $9-$16 for their upper deck, $9-12 for their bleachers, $24-$35 for field level seats

Cincinnati: $5-$19 for upper deck tickets, $19-$25 for outfield, $30-$60 for field level seats

San Diego: $12-$26 for upper deck/boxes, $34-$45 for field level seats.

Houston: $1-$20 for third deck tickets, $16-$48 for second deck, $23-$47 for field level seating.


Each is hardly a rip off

[Elvis]

Small market teams in "Small" ballparks, all recent openings and all for single game tickets during the 2006 season:

Detroit: $5-$20 for seats in the upper deck, $8 for bleacher and $15 for "pavilion" seats. "good seats" are $25-$35 for box seats.

Pittsburgh: $9-$16 for their upper deck, $9-12 for their bleachers, $24-$35 for field level seats

Cincinnati: $5-$19 for upper deck tickets, $19-$25 for outfield, $30-$60 for field level seats

San Diego: $12-$26 for upper deck/boxes, $34-$45 for field level seats.

Houston: $1-$20 for third deck tickets, $16-$48 for second deck, $23-$47 for field level seating.


Each is hardly a rip off

I never said rip off. I said expensive. Most parks charge $15-35 for outfield seats, while Dodger stadium's are all just $8 for EVERY game, not just "value" nights. And again, if you like sitting behind home plate to watch a ballgame, only the Dodgers offer $6 seats EVERY game right behind home plate. Why? Because we have a big ballpark and have had owners who believe in keeping the ballpark family-friendly as far as ticket pricing. Even the great inner Reserved seats just over the press box are only $20. If the Dodgers played in a smaller ballpark it would be just like other teams that have $40 "Crawford bleacher boxes" and no affordable or obtainable seats between the bases.

[efin98]

I never said rip off. I said expensive.

And those aren't expensive. Those are decent prices for good seats in small cities. Even in stadiums with more seats than those it's a hell of a bargain.

Most parks charge $15-35 for outfield seats, while Dodger stadium's are all just $8 for EVERY game, not just "value" nights.

There's a reason the seats out there in Dodger Stadium are that inexpensive- they are far away from the action. A large number of parks also have their biggest attractions ot the park in the outfield and those seats tend to be highly prized by the locals. What works in Dodger Stadium doesn't work in other places.

And again, if you like sitting behind home plate to watch a ballgame, only the Dodgers offer $6 seats EVERY game right behind home plate. Why? Because we have a big ballpark and have had owners who believe in keeping the ballpark family-friendly as far as ticket pricing.

What you are not saying is that those seats are also way up there and far away from the action. It's no different sitting up there than sitting in the bleachers.

Sorry, but I'd rather pay $15-$20 for a better seat in an upper deck that's much closer to the action than pay $6 for a seat that's high up and well back.

Even the great inner Reserved seats just over the press box are only $20.

That's where Dodger Stadium starts to differentiate from the new stadiums. Those seats may be "great" but they are more expensive than any of the seats in the new stadiums I listed.

If the Dodgers drew like those teams you would need a stadium like they had. But the Dodgers don't. Those pricers work for Dodger Stadium

That's the whole point. Those stadiums can charge those amounts because that's what works for them. Just as Fenway can charge $100 for a Green Monster seat and $20 for a bleacher seat well over 500 feet from home plate. What works in LA doesn't work for Boston or Detroit or anywhere else.

If the Dodgers played in a smaller ballpark it would be just like other teams that have $40 "Crawford boxes" and no affordable or obtainable seats between the bases.

Down on field level maybe, but up above where you can actually see better IMHO you could find a hell of a bargain. It depends on where you like to sit and how much you are willing to pay.

[Elvis]

There's a reason the seats out there in Dodger Stadium are that inexpensive- they are far away from the action.

No they're not. They're the same distance from the game as everyone elses bleachers - in some cases closer, and much cheaper.

Sorry, but I'd rather pay $15-$20 for a better seat in an upper deck that's much closer to the action than pay $6 for a seat that's high up and well back.

So would I, but what about the working-class families that can't afford that much on tickets? Not every family cacn afford $80-100 for some baseball tickets. In L.A. a family of 4 can get tickets for $24-30. And they're not bad seats.

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